Day 38 - Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.

Okay, let's get back to the basics. This post is specially dedicated to anyone who is hopping-on-my-fitness-bandwagon or is trying to make a fresh start (yet again!). If you have been regularly reading this crazy blogging marathon of mine, you already know everything! (Well, at least everything I know, and that is A LOT). However, since someone asked me for help, I shall provide them just that (because I am trying to change and be less selfish and more helpful ... hehehe). So here's Drama Queen's Step-by-Step guide to how to start your fat-to-fit journey!

1. Invest in a journal2. Hop on the weighing scale and make a note of your weight. (If you can, then also ask someone to measure your chest, waist, hips, thighs, calfs and bi-ceps. If not, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal)3. Write down on daily basis every single thing you put in our mouth (religiously, like a crazy Jesus person!)4. If your aim is to lose fat (you don't wanna lose weight, you wanna lose fat) then focus on cardio exercises for at least 40-60 minutes per day (5 days a week). Try and mix-match your exercises. Do a different machine everyday. If you run out of machines then try different speed & time on the same machines. Once you have done an exercise it will have less impact the next time you do it as our bodies are extremely resilient and hence adapt to the challenge quickly. The trick is to keep your body guessing.5. If your aim it to tone your body and get more definition then focus on strength training with weights and resistance for 30 minutes every alternate day. If you have never done any weights before, I would honestly suggest you take help from a coach/trainer to guide you at least for 1 or 2 sessions. (I cannot possibly guide anyone over the internet, I don't even think I am qualified to do that yet!) It is a good idea to do weights at least 3 times a week even when your goal is fat loss so that you are toning simultaneously.6. For my pointers on postures, please click here.7. For my pointers on what to eat, please click here.8. The basic science of losing weight (fat) is calorie in vs calorie out. You have to make sure you are burning more than you are consuming. So, for example, if an average female burns 2000 calories in a day and eats only 1500, she has formed a deficit of 500 calories. Once you have formed a deficit of 3500 calories you have lost 0.5kgs (approximately).

I would very humbly request everyone reading to never go on any diet that they cannot follow for the rest of their life or worse - starve themselves. Because if you do that you will only slow down your metabolism and hence burn less calories. Initially you might lose weight and think you are smarter than rest of the world and decide to starve yourself regardless of what everyone suggests. But guess what? One day your temptation will start calling and you shall fall off the fitness bandwagon and binge! (Been there, done that! Honestly!). Eat everything sensibly. You are not dying any time soon. You will have enough time to eat everything. You don't have to eat it all in one sitting. Eat small portions. Eat often. Don't eat after 7:00 pm (last meal should be at least 4 hours before going to bed).

However, if one day you do happen to lose control and eat a little more than you should have. Don't lose heart or give up. Wake up & Start again! That's what I have been doing for past 5 years. I hope I was of some help!

This & That

To all my silent readers (just came to my notice, because a lot of you told me personally that you are silent readers ... heheh caught you!), while I am highly obliged that you visit and hence increase my profile hits but I would reaaallllyyyy appreciate it even more if you made yourselves (and your opinions) heard, rather than just being silent! I know ... I know ... I said Silence is Golden, but that's only when we are face-to-face. Written communication doesn't count (and in my opinion is super rocking in comparison to vocal!).

6 comments

I would also like to add one other important point that drinking water also helps to reduce weight. People should drink at least 2 liters of water everyday (8 glasses). Drink water before you get thirsty. Drink cold water, preferably.

But a word of caution - Although rare, drinking excess water may cause water intoxication.

I completely agree on your point of not going on some stupid crash diets suddenly! Ive done that before, lost over 15 kgs in a month, then had it all come screaming back in even lesser time once I went back to the normal persons food!BTW I've been stealing a lot of pointers from your blog (hehe...yeah u were right...caught!) and have lost around 6 kgs in the last 45 days! So Kudos to you & thanks! :)